Take Your Breath Away
by sarahlou82
Summary: My take on events around season 4's Nailed. Ryan/OC, rated T for adult situations in later chapters. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Take your breath away- chapter 1  
Pairing: Ryan/OC  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: None of this is true. And I own none of the CSI characters. Not one of them. (Unfortunately!)  
Spoilers: Season 4, episode 8- 'Nailed'  
Author's note: This is just my version of what 'happened' during & after _Nailed._ Had this on my computer for a while & forgot about it!

* * *

Lizzy Matthews worked as an ER nurse in Dade Memorial Hospital in Miami. As part of a busy trauma team, Lizzy had seen a number of horrific injuries pas through the ER doors. That Monday was no difference as the radio announced that somewhere an officer was down.

Injured police officers were always the worst cases to Lizzy, that and injured children. Lizzy knew a number of police officers and CSIs as they were often in and out of the ER and the hospital itself, interviewing victims or suspects. She momentarily held her breath as she wondered who it was that would be wheeled through the doors.

Soon there was not time to wonder as trolley hurtled through the doors, carrying on it an attractive young man she recognised as being one of the local CSIs. She was not sure of his name, but she remembered briefly chatting to him the week before, he had cheered her up after she had had a long hard day. Lizzy gasped as she took in the nail sticking out of the corner of his right eye. Before Lizzy had the chance to let her emotions get the better of her, her training kicked in and she helped to wheel the CSI into the emergency room. She began to talk to him, to encourage him to stay conscious and to try and avoid shock. She was amazed by hoe calm the CSI, Ryan Wolfe, was- she did not think she would have remained as calm with a two and a half inch nail sticking out of her eye!

* * *

He had been extremely lucky; the young chatty nurse had told him. The x-rays and examinations showed that the nail had not damaged his brain, his eye or optical nerves. "Millimetres either way and it would have been a different story." The nurse had said, holding his hand and smiling down at him. He sighed with relief and squeezed her hand. He recognised the shiny flame red hair of the nurse he had briefly spoken to the week before, and he remembered how attractive he had found her, especially when she had laughed at one of his feeble attempts to cheer her up.

He remembered the way she had thrown her head back and roared with laughter completely oblivious to what anyone thought. Ryan flushed slightly as he realised he felt ashamed to have her see him lying there like that.

Before Ryan had chance to ask the nurse her name, Alexx Woods blustered into the room and hugged him gently. "Oh baby boy, what have you been doing to yourself?" Ryan smiled weakly and gripped her proffered hand as a doctor entered the room, pushing a trolley topped by a surgical tray. "You're a lucky man Mr Wolfe; we can remove the nail without operating. Nurse Matthews here will give you a local anaesthetic to numb the area." Ryan saw the nurse lift the syringe from the tray and gripped Alexx's hand tighter. "Hey tough guy, it's ok, I'm not going anywhere."

"Ok," began the doctor "You're not going to feel anything. I know it'll be hard, but try not to move." Ryan almost flinched as he saw the doctor move the tweezers towards his eye, but tried to focus on Alexx. The doctor swiftly removed the nail, applying pressure afterwards to contain any bleeding, before passing the nail back to Lizzy to keep as evidence. She almost gasped again as she realised the true size of the nail. "It feels like it's still in there." Ryan mumbled. "That's normal." Lizzy replied, gently patting his leg as she spoke. "It'll soon change."

"Right," said the doctor, "Lizzy here will clean up your eye and apply some butterfly stitches to close the wound. After a bit of a rest you'll be fine to go home." The doctor turned to Lizzy before she continued "I'll be back in a while to check on him."

Ryan could barely take his good eye off of Lizzy as she treated him. He had thought she was beautiful the first time he had met her, but now she seemed even more beautiful, even without a scrap of make-up on and her hair scraped back. He took in every detail of her face- her creamy pale skin, her sparkling green eyes and the shine of her hair. His heart skipped a beat as she stroked his cheek after finishing. "All done!" she smiled, completely oblivious to the effect she was having on Ryan. His heart was now beating so fast he thought she could hear it, and his stomach felt like a nest of snakes were squirming inside of him.

* * *

Lizzy walked Ryan to the door of the ER. "Promise me you won't drive home." She said, her green eyes begging him to consent. He held his hand up and swore to her that he would get a cab home. He gently stroked her arm as he spoke "Thank you for everything." "No worries," she replied with a smile. "Any problems then come back, anytime ok Ryan?" "Okay." He promised as he walked towards where his colleague, Eric Delko, stood waiting. He turned and raised his hand in a brief wave to Lizzy as he left his, heart sinking as he wondered if he would see her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Take your breath away- chapter 2  
Pairing: Ryan/OC  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: None of this is true. And I own none of the CSI characters. Not one of them. (Unfortunately!)  
Spoilers: Season 4, episode 8- 'Nailed'  
Author's note: This is just my version of what 'happened' during & after _Nailed_

* * *

Two days later Ryan returned to Dade Memorial hospital, nervously clutching a fresh bunch of flowers in his hand. Horatio had insisted he took some time off to recover, so Ryan had had a lot of time to think about things. And most of his thoughts had concerned Lizzy. He could still feel the bare flesh of her arm on his hand where he had held her arm. He could still remember the way she had smiled at him, her green eyes twinkling. As Ryan lay in bed that morning, he had decided to do something to show Lizzy how much he appreciated what she had done for him plus it gave him the perfect excuse to see her again. Now he just had to decide what to get her.

As he had stood under the shower spray he eventually decided to pick her out a bunch of flowers- nothing too big, nothing too small. Something just the right size not to be too pretentious, or something too small and cheap looking, which is how Ryan found himself nervously approaching the ER reception desk.

The receptionist on the desk did not exactly look accommodating; in fact she looked almost ferocious. Ryan nearly turned on his heels and left, instead he took a deep breath as he approached the desk and asked after Lizzy. "Lizzy Matthews?" She replied, her ferocity melting away before his eyes. "She's just come off shift; she'll be in the locker room honey. Go through the double doors, and it's the first door on the right." Ryan thanked the receptionist, grateful for her friendly demeanour that meant he did not have to use his CSI credentials to find her. Ryan took a deep breath and walked through the double doors, unsure whether he should knock on the door of wait for Lizzy to come out.

Before Ryan had the chance to decide, Lizzy walked out of the locker room, flicking her long red hair out of the back of her jacket collar. "Oh! Hi Ryan."

"Hey Lizzy." He replied. "I, uh, I bought you these to say thank you for the other day." He added, holding out the flowers towards her. "Oh Ryan, you shouldn't have! But thank you, they're beautiful." She paused before she continued. "Listen, do you fancy grabbing some lunch? The staff canteen here's actually pretty good!" She smiled widely at Ryan, half expecting him to say no, and half willing him to agree. "Erm, sure, I'd love to!" He replied, at which Lizzy's smile widened, and she linked her free arm through one of Ryan's as she steered him towards the lifts.

"How's your eye doing?" She asked as they waited for the lift to arrive. "It's much better; the swelling's gone down a lot now." Lizzy turned to face Ryan, gently holding his right cheek in her hand as she took a closer look at his eye. Ryan felt his breath quicken as she touched him. Part of him desperately wanted to pull away before she noticed the change in his breathing, and part of him didn't want the moment to end. Their eyes locked, Lizzy's hand still cradling Ryan's cheek, the seconds seeming endless until the lift announced its arrival with a loud ping, and broke the spell.

Lizzy and Ryan entered the empty lift in silence, and Lizzy pressed the button for the fifth floor and the staff canteen. They began the ride up in silence, neither sure what to say to the other.

The lift was suddenly filled with a mechanical clanging as the lift shuddered to a halt between the second and third floors, throwing Ryan and Lizzy into the back wall of the lift. "Are you ok?" They asked simultaneously as an exterior alarm began to ring. Lizzy pressed the alarm button that was supposed to connect the lift to the maintenance office. Nothing happened, so she tried the buzzer again, pressing harder this time. Still nothing. As Lizzy tried the buzzer for a third time, a mild panic began to spread through her. No answer. "Great, looks like we're stuck here!" She exclaimed, pounding the display panel with her fist. "I hope you're not claustrophobic." She added, closing her eyes and leaning back against the wall of the lift. "I'm fine," replied Ryan. "But are you sure you're ok? You've gone pale." He gently grasped Lizzy's elbow, a real look of concern flashing across his face.

Lizzy slowly slid to the floor, Ryan crouching down in front of her, still clutching her elbow. "Are you ok Lizzy? You don't look good at all." Ryan knelt in front of her, holding her hands in both of his, the flows discarded now. "I just feel a bit…funny." She replied, a hint of a smile touching the corners of her lips. "A great description from a nurse huh?" Ryan smiled briefly as her green eyes flickered open and looked into his eyes. He sat down on the floor of the lift next to her, taking care not to sit on the flowers, holding her hand in both of his, and pressing it against his stomach.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Lizzy recovered from her panic, just enjoying each other's company. Neither was sure who broke the silence, but they were soon chatting aimlessly. Ryan told Lizzy how he had started out as a uniformed officer before joining CSI. Lizzy spoke without thinking, "Wow, I bet you looked good in uniform!" Lizzy's face fell slightly from embarrassment, as she realised what she had just said, before they both burst out laughing. The uncomfortable moment over, Lizzy and Ryan continued to randomly talk at length.

Three hours had passed since Lizzy and Ryan had entered the lift, three hours in which they had grown a lot closer as they shared the unrepeatable experience of being stuck in a lift. Lizzy had begun to grow weary, and had rested her head on Ryan's shoulder, their hands still entwined on their outstretched legs, Ryan could scarcely believe his luck, to be trapped in a lift with such an amazing woman. The reality of Lizzy was far greater than the Lizzy he had imagined over the previous two days. He squeezed her hand and began to lean in to kiss her forehead. A voice emerged from the control panel of the lift, interrupting Ryan's lips just centimetres away from her forehead. "Hello? Are you alright in there? We'll have you out soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Take your breath away- chapter 3  
Pairing: Ryan/OC  
Rating: T for minor sexual content  
Disclaimer: None of this is true. And I own none of the CSI characters. Not one of them. (Unfortunately!)  
Spoilers: Season 4, episode 8- 'Nailed'  
Author's note: This is just my version of what 'happened' during & after _Nailed_

* * *

Safely released from their elevator prison, Ryan and Lizzy were more than relieved to reach the safety of the hospital corridor. "You still hungry?" Lizzy asked. "Or did half the Mars bar I found in my bag fill you up?!" Ryan smiled at Lizzy's little joke. He was just amazed she was still awake, after starting her shift at 10pm the previous night. "I'm famished How about you?" He grinned knowing she would agree with him, the Mars bar they shared doing nothing to diminish their hunger. Lizzy shook her head and grinned back. "Me too, you still up for grabbing some lunch? Well, late lunch/early dinner?!" They both grinned widely, and Ryan grabbed Lizzy's arm as he spoke. "Ok, let's go. But let's take the stairs huh?" Ryan's comment left both himself and Lizzy laughing as they walked down the corridor towards the stairs, the rescue workers completely bemused by their flippant attitude towards their ordeal.

Their laughter lasted all the way down to the car park, and across to Ryan's car. The laughter reached its natural end as they clambered into the car. "So," Ryan asked, turning towards Lizzy in the passenger seat. "Where are we going then? I don't know anywhere around here."

"I've lived round her for a few years now, I know some great places. We'll go to Franco's; they do lots of different foods. Me & the girls usually go there for a payday night out, they do such a wide range it's easier than arguing over what type of restaurant we go to." Ryan smiled and started the ignition. "Franco's it is then, let's go."

* * *

Ravenous, they both ordered a starter with their meal, which vanished almost as soon as their tiny waitress had placed it on the table. Ryan and Lizzy barely spoke as they ate their main course, hunger still maintaining a hold over the pair of them.

Main course finished and hunger vanquished, Ryan and Lizzy eased into conversation, mainly discussing the 'elevator incident'. The conversation between the two was free and effortless, and after the 'elevator incident' had been discussed at length, the conversation turned to more important issues. Like dessert. "Seeing as you're a regular here, what can you recommend?" Ryan enquired, studying the dessert menu intently. The dessert was her favourite part of the Franco's experience, and began to reel off the pros and cons of each dessert on the menu. Ryan smiled inwardly; "she's clearly a regular here" he thought to himself as she listed the delights of Franco's tiramisu. While Lizzy paused for breath, Ryan leapt into the previously one-sided conversation. "I tell you what Lizzy, you choose your absolute favourite two, and we'll share? How does that sound?" A wide smile appeared on Lizzy's face at Ryan's words. "It sounds like heaven!" She beamed before ordering the 'Mile High chocolate gateau' and 'sticky toffee cheesecake' from the slightly bemused waitress.

The desserts promptly arrived at their table, and Lizzy attacked the one nearest to her with relish. "Mmmm," She murmured, her mouth half full of cake. "You've gotta try this Ryan, it's even better than I remember!" She held a fork of chocolate cake out towards Ryan. "C'mon, try it." She added, more insistent this time, leaning across the table and holding the fork closely to his mouth. Ryan opened his mouth wide enough to accept the morsel of cake. "Mm, it is good!" He replied, enjoying the look of satisfaction on Lizzy's face. "What's your cheesecake like?" She asked.

Soon Ryan and Lizzy were feeding each other dessert, barely eating anything from the plate in front of themselves, just what the other had fed them. The waitressing staff used the lull in trade to place bets on how long it would be before the couple kissed. Both Lizzy and Ryan had considered when would be an appropriate time to kiss the other, knowing it would happen soon. But they were both acutely aware of the staff's interest in the unfolding events, so inwardly decided that in the restaurant would not be the best time.

Desserts finished, and the bill paid, Ryan and Lizzy headed back to the car hand in hand. "I think I'd better get you home." Ryan stated, noticing the weary look in Lizzy's green eyes. "Ok." Lizzy agreed, trying to stifle a yawn. The short journey to Lizzy's passed in silence, apart from the odd direction passed to Ryan. They reached Lizzy's apartment complex, and Ryan walked her up to her door, to ensure she got in ok, which was fairly unnecessary as Lizzy lived in a safe area of Miami. Lizzy unlocked her door, deactivated the alarm system, and placed her keys on the table by the door, and her bag on the floor. "Thanks for a lovely afternoon. I'm glad it was you I was stuck in that lift with, and not one of the creepy cleaners!" They both smiled, and Ryan stepped closer to Lizzy, gently placing both hands on her waist. "Me too, I don't like the sound of those cleaners!" He replied, both their smiles widening. Ryan leaned in closer, holding Lizzy's waist tighter. They both knew what would follow, both their stomachs beginning to churn slightly with anticipation.

Before either knew quite what was happening, their lips touched, passing a shot of electricity through both their bodies. Their kisses soon passed from delicate to passionate, as their grip on each other increased and tightened as they tumbled over the threshold of Lizzy's flat, Ryan kicking the door shut behind him. They were soon fumbling with each other's clothes, their jackets hitting the floor first. Lizzy pulled away slightly, "Are you sure you want to do this?" She murmured, pausing halfway through unbuttoning Ryan's shirt. "Life's too short not to."


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Take your breath away- chapter 4  
Pairing: Ryan/OC  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: None of this is true. And I own none of the CSI characters. Not one of them. (Unfortunately!)  
Spoilers: Season 4, episode 8- 'Nailed', Season 4, episode 9- 'Shattered'  
Author's note: This is just my version of what 'happened' during & after _Nailed_

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Ryan's injury, and his eye was looking remarkably better. He had returned to work after a week, much to Lizzy and his colleagues' surprise and against their advice.

That day was particularly difficult for Ryan. He was helping to investigate the murder of a drug lord, and one of the suspects had accused his colleague Eric Delko of buying marijuana. Consequently, IAB were investigating the claims, and along with his other colleagues, Ryan had been interviewed about Delko. Ryan had been coerced into revealing he had seen Delko with rolling papers, providing IAB with ammunition in their case against him.

Later he had discovered the crime scene photos he had taken that day were all out of focus. He had attempted to blame his camera for the photos, but Calleigh was not convinced, and instantly knew he continued to have problems with his injured eye. She managed to persuade him to see a doctor, but instead he visited the ME, Alexx Woods, worried about an emergency eye examination appearing n his records so soon after his injury. Alexx diagnosed an eye infection, which was no surprise to her as Ryan had stopped taking his antibiotics part way through the course. "It's no big deal right?" Ryan asked attempting to be laid back about it all. Alexx looked at him, worry creased across her face. "Infection could be a sign of something more serious. Any headaches, vision problems?" she asked. "No, I'm fine." Ryan replied, as he attempted to leave. Alexx put one hand on his shoulder to prevent him. "You need to see an ophthalmologist honey. I know a good one." "If it is something…" Ryan began, a troubled look in his eyes. "I'd lose my job wouldn't I?"

"Sweetie," Alexx replied, "You need to worry about your eyesight. Here's a prescription for some more antibiotics. Promise me you'll take them all, none of this 'I feel fine' crap. And promise me you'll see an ophthalmologist." Ryan sighed gently. "I promise. Thank you Alexx."

Soon after, Calleigh and Alexx stood discussing Ryan and Eric in the morgue. Both women were especially concerned about Ryan; his injured eye was continuing to have an impact upon his work and would soon be influencing his everyday life. "Doesn't his new girlfriend work at the hospital?" Calleigh asked. "Oh, she does! She's the nurse who treated him when he was admitted." Alexx replied, smiling as she remembered the adoring way Ryan had looked at Lizzy, even with a nail sticking out of one eye! "Maybe one of us should call her; maybe she could talk some sense into him." Calleigh suggested. "Good idea honey, can you remember her last name?"

"I think it was Matthews, Lizzy Matthews." Calleigh responded.

Calleigh picked up the phone and called the ER at Dade Memorial, asking for Lizzy. A few minutes passed while she was summoned to the phone. "Hello?" "Hi Lizzy, it's Calleigh Duquesne here, I work with Ryan, and it's him I'm calling about."

"Is everything ok? Is Ryan ok?" Lizzy asked, the worry clear in her voice. "No, no, don't worry. Everything's fine with Ryan. It's just that me and Alexx were a little worried about his eye."

"You've noticed it's troubling him too huh?" Lizzy questioned, relieved to hear nothing was seriously wrong with Ryan. "Yeah, we have." Calleigh continued. "Alexx examined his eye and it's infected. She's recommended he sees an ophthalmologist too, and we were kinda hoping you'd make sure he went."

"Oh definitely! I'll drag him along if I have to!" Both women laughed lightly, knowing that Ryan would be stubborn enough to reach the stage where he _would_ have to be dragged along. "Listen, can I get your cell number Lizzy? That way I won't have to call you at work again." Calleigh grabbed a pen and a pad to write down Lizzy's number as she recited it. "And if could not tell him I called, that'd be great." Calleigh continued. "No worries Calleigh, and thanks for calling."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Take your breath away- chapter 5  
Pairing: Ryan/OC  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: None of this is true. And I own none of the CSI characters. Not one of them. (Unfortunately!)  
Spoilers: Season 4, episode 8- 'Nailed', Season 4, episode 9- 'Shattered'

A/N: this is apparently as far as I got with this one! if you'd like me to continue please R&R!

* * *

Lizzy was due to meet Ryan after he finished work, but had received a call to tell her he had been delayed. Impatient to see him, Lizzy had decided to meet him at the lab. The receptionist showed Lizzy up to the Trace lab, just as Ryan left it, pulling off a pair of latex gloves, a grim look on his soot stained face. "Hey Lizzy." Ryan smiled as he caught sight of his lover. "Hey you. You're all dirty!" She exclaimed, running her hand across his cheek and then stroking the back of his head. "Just a little." He murmured, throwing the gloves to one side and wrapping his arms around Lizzy's waist, pulling her close to him.

Their lips met in a warm tender kiss, as Lizzy wrapped both of her arms around Ryan's neck, holding his face tightly against hers. She broke the kiss, releasing him far enough for their eyes to meet. "Hey, you're dirty too now." He murmured, brushing at the smudge of soot transferred from his face to hers. "I like it." He grinned before kissing Lizzy again, more passionately this time, his tongue darting in and out of her mouth. Their bodies pressed forcefully against each other, their arms tightening around each other, completely oblivious to their location and anyone who may be around.

The sound of someone loudly clearing their throat caused Ryan and Lizzy to jump apart. Ryan turned, half expecting to see his boss Horatio Caine, so was greatly relieved to discover it was his colleague Eric Delko. "Wow, don't you two look cosy making out in the hallway?!" Ryan looked sheepishly at the floor as he spoke. "Don't creep up on people like that Delko, I thought you were Horatio!" Eric grinned widely. "He's down at PD so you're ok man." Eric began to introduce himself to Lizzy, eyeing her appreciatively, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. "I uh better take this, I'll see you later."

As Eric walked away, Ryan and Lizzy turned back to face each other, a hint of a smile touching both of their lips. Lizzy wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck again and gently kissed the cleft between his nose and upper lip. They stood with their arms wrapped around each other, their foreheads touching, savouring the intimacy of the moment.

Unbeknown to Ryan and Lizzy, Calleigh and Alexx had spotted the lovers entwined in the corridor, and stood with their heads together discussing the couple. Alexx could not resist speaking out loud. "Aw, now don't you two look just adorable?" Ryan and Lizzy both smiled as they broke apart to face Alexx and Calleigh. "So, are you two lovebirds up to anything special later?" Alexx asked as Ryan and Lizzy wrapped an arm around each others' waists. "We're having dinner at Manari's." Lizzy replied, smiling widely. "Ooh, that place is kinda pricey!" Calleigh exclaimed. "You lucky girl you!" She added, patting Lizzy on the arm. "And if we're going to make our reservation, I'm going to have to get back to work." Ryan said, reluctantly kissing Lizzy on the nose and directing her towards the canteen to wait for him. Lizzy sighed before kissing Ryan's chin. "Don't be long honey." She whispered in his ear, before making her way to the canteen.


End file.
